


Late night Study

by floatingpetals



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: College Student Reader, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Overwhelmed, Panic Attacks, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 18:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16837807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingpetals/pseuds/floatingpetals
Summary: Request:  “Girl, I got soooooo excited when I saw that requests are open! I have loved your writing for a while and have lurked on your fics (so sorry for not commenting lately, life has been hard, but that’s no excuse, so please know that you’re awesome). If you have time and have the inspiration, I would love to read something with Steve Rogers. I’m a sucker for fluff and romance, but specific ideas are escaping me right now. I’m about to graduate college if that helps!





	Late night Study

Papers were strewn about the table, a half drunk cup of coffee sat beside an open textbook with an array of highlighter stickers on the edges. A groan came from the woman hunched over the table, her head resting on her folded arms. Sitting up, she rubbed her weary eyes. Her head was throbbing, and it felt like her eyes were quite literally on fire. If she had to look over one more paragraph she’d go insane. As much as she really wanted to go to bed and snuggle up in with the super soldier she knew was fast asleep, she needed to finish her studying. Her final exam was in two days and if she failed this test, she wouldn’t graduate when she was planned to. It all fell on her shoulders, and she was completely freaking out.

Pushing her journal away, she glanced over at the clock on the microwave. The green numbers flashed at her tauntingly, nearly one in the morning. She groaned again but took a second to regroup. She had focus, she needed to pass this test. Shooting one longing look over her shoulder to the bedroom door, Y/N turned back to her books and dove back in.

Steve rolled over in his bed, blindly reaching for the body that usually lay beside him. His fingers brushed cold empty sheets, not even slightly disturbed. He frowned, brows furrowing. With a sigh, he sluggishly opened his eyes to look over at the empty spot. Y/N’s side lay empty. He groggily looked at his clock, sighing at the three o’clock blinking brightly at him in the dark. Pushing back the comforter, he groaned softly, muscles creaking and made his way to the door.

It had been like this for almost a week now, him going to bed with Y/N sitting on at the kitchen table with a promise she’d be there shortly. He’d wake sometime in the middle of the night and see she still hadn’t come to bed. He knew how important it was for her to pass her test, her education was a huge part of her future. He had been there for her through thick and thin, helped her study when she needed it or during any sort of midterm panic attacks she had, he was there. Now, this was her last test, the big test, and he knew she’d end up trying to study as much as she could last minute. He sometimes wondered what she’d be like if he wasn’t there to pull her away. Y/N would throw herself into studying and sometimes forget to sleep or even eat. Steve would always be there with food, or the reminder she was a human that needed to sleep.

Walking around the kitchen corner, he paused at the sight of her hunched over the table. Her face was buried in a book, wordlessly mumbling the text she was reading in front of her. Her eyebrows were pinched together in deep concentration, a frown on the corner of her lips. Steve smiled at the sight, finding her level of commitment endearing. She was so focused on her words she missed Steve walk up behind her. Gently, he brushed his finger along the skin about her collar, chuckling low at her squeal. Y/N spun around, her eye wide and bloodshot. Dark circles were prominent on her face, a sight that worried him. Realizing it was just Steve and not a murder, she let out of a sigh of relief.

“I have to get you a bell.” She muttered and turned back to the books. She didn’t hear Steve reply, not giving him much thought as she turned back to the words in front of her. She needed to study. She had to pass. Just as quickly as her attention shifted back to the textbooks, they were shut in her face and set aside.

“Time for bed.”

“Hey!” She shouted, shooting a hand out to grab the book back, but Steve took hold of her wrist. “Steve, I need to finish studying!”

“Nope.” Was his only reply. He pulled her chair out, ignoring both her and the chairs protests. “You’re coming to bed.”

“No, Steve. I can’t! I need to study!” Y/N’s voice wavered, the panic beginning to bubble in her chest. She didn’t have much time left. She couldn’t fail.

Steve paused at her protest, hearing the crack in her voice. He knew how important this was to her, knew that she would run herself ragged in the end of it all. He wasn’t going to let her do that to herself. Squatting down beside her, he gently nudged her legs apart and scooted between them. He took her face into his hand, smiling warmly up at her.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Tears started welling up in her eyes and began vigorously shaking her head, but Steve stopped her with a look. “Baby, it is. I promise. You’ve been studying so hard the past few weeks, you put so much work into this. I know without a doubt you’ll pass this test with flying colors.” Tenderly, he cupped her cheek. Y/N made a noise of distress, leaning into his palm. “But baby, I need you to take care of yourself. I see how hard you are working, but I also see how tired you are. I know you’re exhausted, and you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You need to sleep, you wouldn’t be able to focus if you don’t.”

Steve leaned up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Y/N’s heart clenched, and a sob tore from her lips. She hated yet loved how caring he was. Like now, it was always her undoing, somehow managing to break her walls down. Without missing a beat, Steve scooped her from the chair, and took her place with her on his lap, pulling her close to his chest.

“Oh no, baby it’s okay.” Steve soothed, running his hand through her hair. He rocked her in his arms, murmuring softly. “Breathe, I need you to breathe.”

Y/N sobbed into his shirt, gripping tightly as she let go all the mounting stress she had been holding onto the past weeks. Steve soothed her as best he could, knowing there was so much more than she let on that was at the base of all that. Patiently waiting, he let her cry out her problems before he talked with her. When her heart-wrenching sobs quietened to a soft sniffle, Steve tenderly whipped her tears from her cheeks.

“You feelin’ any better?” Y/N sniffled and nodded slightly, chewing on her lip. “You want to tell me what it was all about?”

Taking a shuddering breath, Y/N reluctantly confessed her real reason for her panic. “I just-I’m just so scared of graduating.”

“Why is that?” Steve pressed, although a bit surprised. He thought she was ready to be done with school and start her career. She said so many times she was ready to be over it all, so this was news to him. “I thought you wanted to be done.”

“I mean-.” Y/N began, rubbing her tear stained cheek. “Yeah, I want to be done, but then I’ll be done done. I wouldn’t have school anymore. No more fall back. That’s it. I’m out in the real world with nothing to hold me back but myself. And I’m freaking out.”

“How come?”

Y/N let out a frustrated sigh, sitting up on his lap. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have to find a job. I can’t live without one, obviously. That brings up a whole bunch of other things. What if I never find one, what will I do then? If I do manage to find one, I don’t know if I’ll be any good. I’m worried I’ll fail. And then what? I don’t know if I’m ready for this.” Fresh tears started to form again, falling freely from her face. “I’m scared Steve.”

Shocked at her confession, Steve pulled her tightly back into his arm, cradling her close. He had no idea, he never thought it was this bad. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let her worry alone.

“Oh, Y/N.” Steve uttered, tightening his grip on her. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Baby, I promise you, you’re going to do great. I know you’ll get a job in on time, that I have no doubt of. You work so incredibly hard, I see how you strive for perfection. I know for a fact, you’re not going to fail. I’ll be here with you every step of the way, you’ll never be alone during any of this. So please, don’t be scared. This is good, a new beginning for you.”

Y/N sniffled once more, a watery smile cracking on her face. Steve didn’t miss her faint grin, his shoulders relaxing at the sight. He pressed another kiss against her forehead, humming softly as he inhaled the smell of her hair. Nudging his nose against the crown of her head, he let out a sigh of relief.

“If you ever have anything else you worry about, please don’t keep it from me. I want to be a part of your future, so I need to know whenever you have any worries or fears. Tell me. Please. You’re not a burden in any way, shape or form. So, you can save that argument.” Y/N giggled, burying her face in his neck, sighing. A shiver went up Steve’s spine from her warm breath against his skin. he clenched his eyes shut as he tried to calm his heart. It had been so long since either of them had been intimate together, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. He cleared his throat and shifted her in his arms from his lap. “I think it’s time to call it a night. What do you say?”

Y/N nodded against the crook of his neck, arms winding up to wrap around his neck. He chuckled softly, hooking an arm under her legs and stood. He walked to the lights of the kitchen, which she reached over to flick off and let him carry her to his room. With one arm, he pulled her side of the sheets back and set her down on the cool sheets. She hummed, reluctantly letting him go and buried face first into the pile of pillows. He chuckled, swinging a leg over her body to climb over her to his side with a grin on his face. She gave a squeal of protest when he did, giggling when his fingers pressed against her sides. Throwing the comforter of them, he pulled her back against his chest and buried his face in her hair.

Y/N relaxed into his hold, linking her fingers with his around her waist. He let out another sigh and pressed a kiss against the back of her head.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Night Steve.” She whispered in the dark. Snuggling further into the sheet, she smiled softly. Her eyelids began to droop, seconds from falling asleep. Wanting to make sure he knew, she whispered into the dark room before letting sleep claim her. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”


End file.
